I linked to this blog post before. I have some objections, from the top of my head...
Philosophy and scientific thinking emerged in Greece, and was later taken over by the Roman Empire. Greece may have been peripheral, but the Empire obviously wasn´t. Neither was Alexander the Great´s empire.
That the Europeans innovated simply because of their peripheral position isn´t likely. The nomads of the Eurasian steppes were peripheral, but didn´t innovate anything for millennia. Sub-Saharan Africa or Australia weren´t particularly innovative either (in the author´s sense). Some "barbarian" peoples invaded and succesfully took over more ancient high cultures (for instance, the Arabs and the Mongols), but that´s a different proposition.
Modernity only arose in Europe. Modernity is unique.
While it´s true that modernity was originally based on plunder, and still is to a great extent based on exploitation, it has also raised the living standards of billions of people, in recent decades most notably in China. No other mode of production has done this. This is a fundamental contradiction or "dialectic" within modernity. It makes it (potentially) more "progressive". Note also: democracy, human rights, labor movements, gender equality, the collapse of fascism and Stalinism, etc.
Modernity might still collapse, however. While it can potentially overcome its social contradictions, it has proven much more difficult to transcend the contradiction between modernity and the physical living environment. This could lead to decline or even collapse due to resource depletion, overpopulation and/or climate change. While technological solutions to these problems may exist, human rationality doesn´t progress in the same way as technology (Hegel´s "cunning of Reason" is challenged by the Devil´s "cunning of unreason", so to speak).
The author hasn´t factored in climate change in his scenario. In the discussion, he claims that Canada and Siberia will become agricultural breadbaskets in the event of global warming?!
The collapse of modernity will be a tragedy for most people. The scenario in the article isn´t just the messy and chaotic close of another cycle, but a more fundamental regression of world civilization.
The claim that West Africa had towns before Europe seems to be a factual error.
I like Woullebecks "Refuge" a lot. Almost total colapse of modernity exept for many but very small enclaves of genetically quasi budhist(?) modified humans that are highly intelligent an have eternal life, kind of. And their pet dogs whom they love a lot.
ReplyDeleteThey wish to have nothing to do with the rest of humanity, neither for exploitation or anything else.
Clearly a dystopic novel but i found it kind of appealing.
Interesting! Sounds like something I could consider reading.
ReplyDeleteBy The way, its called "Refug" in swedish. The english title is "The possibility of an Island".
ReplyDeleteOK, it´s on my private "wish list" now.
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